Unraveling the Mystery of a Teen's Alzheimer's Diagnosis

Alzheimer's disease is often seen as something that affects older people. But in 2022, doctors in China diagnosed a 19-year-old with this condition. This makes him the youngest person ever to get this diagnosis. Normally, Alzheimer's is linked to older age. But sometimes, it can happen to people under 65. This is called early-onset Alzheimer's. Almost all people under 30 with Alzheimer's have a genetic mutation that causes it. This is called familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD). The teen started having memory problems around age 17. His symptoms got worse over time. Brain scans showed shrinkage in the hippocampus, a part of the brain that helps with memory. His cerebrospinal fluid also had markers that are usually seen in Alzheimer's. Doctors looked for common genetic mutations that cause early-onset Alzheimer's. But they couldn't find any. This makes the case even more puzzling. The teen's family also had no history of Alzheimer's or dementia.Two years before his diagnosis, the teen began struggling in school. He had trouble focusing and reading. His short-term memory also declined. He often forgot recent events and misplaced his belongings. Eventually, his cognitive decline was so bad that he couldn't finish high school. A year after his diagnosis, tests showed he had severe memory deficits. His memory scores were much lower than those of his peers. Doctors said his case is changing how they think about the age of onset for Alzheimer's. This case shows that Alzheimer's is complex. It can happen in different ways and affect people differently. Doctors say more research is needed to understand early-onset cases better. They believe studying young people with Alzheimer's could be one of the biggest scientific challenges in the future.